Cutting apparatus for harvesters.



` To all whom, it may concern:

WILLIAM R. CLARKSON, VOF TENINO, WASHINGTON.

cuTTlNe. PPARATUS Fon HARVESTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1906l Application filed January 3l, 1906. Serial No.298,868.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. CLARK- sON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Tenino, in the county of Thurston and State ofWashington, have invented a new and useful Cutting Apparatus forHarvesters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cutting apparatus for harvesters andmowing-machines and it has for'its objects to simplify and improve theconstruction and operation of this class of devices and to present acutting apparatus which shall be free from danger of grass or grainbecoming entangled therewithand interfering with the operation.

Another object of theinvention is to provide an improvedcasing for'thecutting apparatus which shall be simple in construction and effective inoperation.

Another object of the invention is to pro- ,vide improvedantifriction-bearings for the cutter-bar.

`Still another object of the inventionis to improve the knives orcutters with aview of increasing their effectiveness.

With these and other ends in view the invention consists inthe improvedconstruction and'novel arrangement and combination 0f parts, whichwillbe hereinafter fully' descrlbed, and particularly pointed out in theclaims. l

In the accompanying drawings there have been illustrated certain simpleand 4preferred forms of the invention, and in said draw- Figure- 1 is aperspective view of a portion of a cutting apparatus constructed inaccordance'with the principles of thev invention and .equip ed with twocutter-bars, parts having been roken away for the purpose of exposingthe construction more fully. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view ofthe form of cutting apparatus shown in Fig. .1. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view illustrating a form of cutting apparatus having a singlecutterbar, but otherwise constructed on the lines of the presentinvention. Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating la form kof cuttingapparatus having two cutter-bars, but showing a modified form of casing.Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of one of the knives or cutters.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

The present invention is equally applicable to cutting apparatusemploying two oppothe friction will be sitely-reciprocatory cutter-bars,as shown at 1 1 in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 of the drawings, and to apparatushaving' a single cutter-bar, as s own at 2 in Fig. 3. In either case asheetmetal casing is employed forming a housing for the cutter bar orbars and having a slot through which the knives or cutters may project.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, 3 designates the casing orhousing, which is bent from a single strip of sheet metal, so as to formthe curved back portion 4 and the side members or leaves 5 5, whichlatter are provided with flanges 6 6, extending `in the direction ofeach other and leaving between them a slot or opening 7. The sidemembers 5 5 are connected by means of bolts 7 having spacing-sleevesSand thin washers 9 9, which are interposed between the ends of thespacing-sleeves and the inner sides of the leaves or sidemembers 5 5, sothat by tightening the nuts 10 upon thebolts 7 the parts will besecurely assembled. Upon the sleeves 8 are journaled antifriction disksor rollers 12 12, which are spaced apart by an intermediate washer 11.By mounting said antifriction-rollers upon the sleeve 8 rthey will beprevented from binding when thenuts 10 are tightened vupon the bolts,since the sleeves 8, which are made of proper length,

-will prevent the sides of the housing or the washers 9 from beingtightened againstthe I antifrictionmembers.

The cutter-bars 1 1 are laced within the housing with their backs caringupon the antifriction-rollers. 15, which are secured in the usual mannerupon the cutter-bars, project through the slot 7, and the rear edges ofsaid knives or blades are extended rearward of the cutterbars, s o as tolie between the opposing faces of the antifriction disks or rollers 12,as clearly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thus supportling thecutter-barsin position for operation,

the knives or blades being guided in the slot 7 and between the faces ofthe antifriction members. By this arrangement of the cut-. ter-bars saidbars will be supported free from contact with the housing, except attheir front edges, which are dis osed in engagement with the flanges 6;ut inasmuch as the strain when the device is in operation is in arearward direction u on the cutter-bars greatly reduced and theoperation of the cutting a paratus correspondingly facilitated.Thelliousing is sup- The blades or vknives ICO IIO

ported and the cutter-bars are operated in the usual well-known manner,which does not constitute a part of the present invention.

Under the modication illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings the casing orhousing is constructed substantially like the casing 3, (shown in Figs.1 and 2 g) but of the sides of the casing, which are here designated 16and 17, only one, 16, is provided with a flange 18, which is spaced fromthe opposite side member to afford a slot for the passage of the knivesor blades 19 of the single cutter-bar 20. yThe connecting-bolts, ofwhich only one (designated 21) appears in the drawings, are eachintended to be provided with a spaclng-sleeve 22 and washers'23, anantifrictionroller 24, journaled upon the sleeve 22, affording a bearingfor the back of the cutter-bar 2.

Under the modification illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings theconstruction is identical with that employed in Figs. 1 and 2, with the.eXception that the casing, which is here deslgnated 25, is constructedof two separate pieces of sheet metal 26 and 27, forming the oppositesides of the housing and provided with iianges 28, corresponding withthe flanges 6 in Figs. 1 and 2. The side member 26 of the casing is bentto form the back 29, which abuts upon the side member 27. The

construction and arrangement of the connecting means, the antifrictionmeans, andf the cutter-bars is identical with that shown in Figs. 1 and2, and the same numerals are employed to designate the different parts.

The invention, as will be seen from the foregoing description, isequally applicable to` cutting a paratus equipped with single and withdou le cutter-bars, and the cutter-bars will be completely inclosed andprotected from contact with the material that is being l cut. Thecustomary sickle-bar straps, which area frequent source of inconvenienceby becoming entangled with grass, straw, and weeds, are entirelydispensed with, and sharp projections and obstructions are avoided.After a period of Wear slack resulting therefrom may be taken up bysimply removing one of the thin washers 9, after which the parts may bereassembled and connected as tightly as when the apparatus was new.

y While the improved cutting apparatus herein described may be used withknives or blades of any description, it is preferred to blades are thuspractically provided with i numerous minute saw-teeth, whereby theireectiveness in operation is greatly increased. At the same time theblades may be readily ground or sharpened in the ordinary manner, sincethe channels, grooves, and serratiens are formed upon the flat sides ofthe blades, the beveled sides of the latter being readily operated uponby means of an ordinary grindstone or emery-wheel.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In a cuttingapparatus, a sheet-metal housing having side members spaced apart toform a slot, bolts connecting the side members, spacing-sleeves upon thebelts, pairs of spaced antifriction membersupon the sleeves, cutter-barswithin the housing bearing upon the antifriction members, and bladesupon the cutter-bars projecting through the slot in the housing andextended rearwardly between the faces of the antifriction members.

2. In a cutting apparatus, a sheet-metal housing having side members anda back said. side members being provided with ianges spaced apart toform a slot, bolts connecting the side members, spacing-sleeves andWashers upon said bolts, pairs of antifriction members supported forrotation upon the spacingsleeves between the washers, spacing meansbetween the antifriction members, cutterbars within the housing bearingupon the antifriction members, and blades upon the cutter-barsprojecting through the slot in the housing and extended rearwardlybetween the faces of the antifriction members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. CLARKSON.

Witnesses:

P. C. KIBBE, V. G. KETCHAM.

TOO

